Rim Exchange

How many of you have old sets of rims consuming precious garage space? I've tried listing them on every possible website and the Roundel, but I've never any takers beyond the poor folks that what to know if they'll fit some other model. Of course, I don't have that info, so there they sit......in the garage.......sucking up space. Surely, there has to be someway to help these rims find a nice home.

With the exception of the E39 5-series (1997 - 2003, which has a unique hub), nearly any 5 lug rim will physically fit on the hubs of nearly any other 5-lug vehicle. However, an important variation is that different wheels are going to have varying amounts of backspace, the distance between the face of the hub center and the outside of the rim. A wheel with too little backspace will hit the wheelwell or suspension, a wheel with too much will stick out from the wheelwells and not look right (I'd like to hope that the "roller skate" look went out of style along with plaid suits and tie-dyed neckwear). Hubcentric spacers and wheel adapters can overcome some differences in hubs and backspacing.

There are places that will buy used wheels, such as www.wheelcollision.com. However, I can certainly tell you that you're likely to make more profit selling them privately. If you click on Members Community, on the above right, then select Marketplace on the bottom, then select Classifieds, you should be able to post a free online classified ad through BMWCCA online and through the Roundel magazine. Just make sure that you try to describe the wheel as accurately as you can (photos are a plus), include the wheelsize, whether or not you are including the tires with it (quality and amount of wear on the tires is helpful) as well as what year and model BMW the wheels came from. If they came from a "sport package" or other options package, this may help sell the wheels, since such package wheels are not always easy to find by themselves on the market.

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A good start would be with a description of what "rims" you're trying to get rid of, how much you want to get for them, and always some pictures. Where they're located is also useful.

As a semantic issue; rims are the edges of the wheels. I assume you're offering entire wheels, right?

Phil,

They're just 16" BMW steel wheels (the item previously known as rims) for a 2000 3-series that were fit with winter tires ($50 for set 4/OBO). IMHO, the issue comes down to BCWEIR's response where he mentions the off-set variation between wheels. It would be handy to have a listing of wheel sizes and offsets that are compatible with various models. Surely, some truly obsessed Bimmerphile has compiled this information for the good of the community?

Relative to semantics, if calling them wheels helps hasten their departure from my garage, I'll gladly swallow my pride and never use the word rim again.

A wheel with too little backspace will hit the wheelwell or suspension, a wheel with too much will stick out from the wheelwells and not look right (I'd like to hope that the "roller skate" look went out of style along with plaid suits and tie-dyed neckwear). Hubcentric spacers and wheel adapters can overcome some differences in hubs and backspacing.

Quite true...and improper wheel offset (the correct term ) can also lead to excessive wear or premature failure of suspension components, wheel bearings, etc., because it produces forces outside the design specs. The bigger the mismatch, the faster the damage can occur. There's nothing like a fat repair bill to discourage dubious aesthetic mods.

Now what to do about those 1980's cars (including square Caprices, Crown Vics, and E32s) that are jacked up like 4 x 4's and wearing 20, 22, or 24 inch wheels, wearing the full "ghetto thug" package. I've seen them. It's a pretty horrific thing to do to an automobile, to say nothing of the butchering of the car's ride and handling, as well as the potential safety risks in cornering a vehicle with such a raised center of gravity that wasn't designed that way.

As far as identifying the wheels, you could go to http://www.wheelcollision.com. They have their wheels organized by make and model, and you can sometimes identify a wheel's type and name that way, since nearly all of their wheels are illustrated online. Once you have identified the proper model of the wheel (i.e. Style 42), it should be pretty easy to identify the wheel specs (such as backspacing and offset) online via other websites.

Please check out my new science fiction adventure story now online at http://www.xybears.com. Your help and support with this would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Phil,
They're just 16" BMW steel wheels (the item previously known as rims) for a 2000 3-series that were fit with winter tires ($50 for set 4/OBO).

They're not just 16" wheels - they have a width and offset dimension, often found around the lug area of the wheel. Do you see any info there, perhaps 7Jx16 ET:47? Here's an example of an E46 steel wheel. Do yours resemble these?

A lot of BMW's rims have a part number ( and sometimes the car they came from serial number as well) It is usually stamped or cast in the backside of the rim somewhere. Aftermarket rims are a whole different deal.

They're not just 16" wheels - they have a width and offset dimension, often found around the lug area of the wheel. Do you see any info there, perhaps 7Jx16 ET:47? Here's an example of an E46 steel wheel. Do yours resemble these?